Improvement in water-proof materials



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XAVTER KARGHESKI, OF BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SOL O- MEN D.MOMILLAN, TRUSTEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPRQVEMENT IN WATER-PROOF MATERIALS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,451, dated April 1,1873; application filed March 15, 1873.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, XAVIER KARCHESKI, of Belleville, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and ImprovedManufacture of Water- Proof Material, of which the following is aspecification:

My improved article of manufacture consists of cloth or other textilevegetable fabrics, either alone or united with paper or similar fibrousmaterial rendered insoluble in water by treatment with sulphuric acid,substantially in the manner hereinafter set forth.

The material is prepared by substantially the process described in myapplication for patent filed simultaneously with this,-to whichreference is made, and which is substantially as follows: The cloth orother textile fabric alone, or cloth and paper, or other fibrous material, as the case may be, is first immersed in a bath ofsulphuricacid, after removal from which it is subjected to a highertemperature to accelerate the action of the acid in dissolving itsfiber, either by treating it to an airbath, in which the absorption ofmoisture from the air by the acid produces the required heat, or bysubjecting it to a hot-air bath or blast. When, by this means, the fiberof the material has been partially dissolved, more or less, according tothe nature of the material and the result required, it is subjected topressure to expel the excess of acid and promote the agglutination ofthe fiber and compact the material together. The material is nexttreated to a wa'terbath and to compression therein, to eliminate theacid as far as possible and complete the agglutination of the materialinto a compact homogeneous mass, this step of the process beingprolonged Without interruption until the required efiect is produced.The process is repeated, if necessary, after the ma terial is thoroughlydried, until the required stiffness, tenacity, and flexibility areattained.

The material may be formed from two or more thicknesses of cloth, or ofany number of thicknesses of cloth and fibrous material combined,according to the use to which it is to be applied.

The material prepared in this manner is not only insoluble in water, butis strengthened and rendered permanently stiff and elastic. Formed fromcotton cloth alone or in combination with paper, it may be applied tothe manufacture of imitation linen, &c. Formed from suitable cloth, itmay be used as a lining for clothing. It may also be formed from clothto be used as a substitute for leather in various arts. Itssusceptibility of application to numerous arts and manufactures rendersit valuable and important.

What I claim is As a new article of manufacture, cloth or othervegetable textile fabrics, either alone or united with paper or similarfibrous material, rendered insoluble in water by treatment withsulphuric acid, substantially as and for the purpose described.

XAVIER KAROHESKI.

Witnesses MARTIN GILLET, GEO. W. MIATT.

